STAYING together ... Alan Smith with his Thai bride Pach, who is expecting his baby

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CONVICTED child sex offender Alan Smith spoke to the Observer from his cell in a Thai detention centre this week, revealing his pregnant wife is standing by him.

Last month it was discovered that Smith, 53, from Accrington, had been working at a school near Bangkok just two years after being convicted of a sex offence against a teenager.

After the revelation, Smith said he had resigned from his job at the school and split from his wife, Pach, 26.

Since then, he has been arrested by Thai police and is currently being held in a detention centre and authorities warn he could face being deported.

But on Wednesday, Smith said he and Pach were back together and that she is standing by him through his ordeal.

He also confirmed they are expecting a baby later this year.

Speaking from his cell which he shares with dozens of other prisoners, he said: "I am banged up in jail because a dossier of evidence has been handed over to the Royal Thai High Commissioner and they came and arrested me. What has happened is totally out of order.

"I am here in a cell which measures about 100ft by 50ft and it has around 70 people in it.

"You have to sleep on the floor and at night they leave the lights on.

"As you can imagine, my wife is in bits and I don’t know how long I will be here for."

Smith who has vowed to return to England, added: "I have been told that the British government will not pay for a flight home but even if they did, I have got nowhere to live if I come back to Accrington.

"I have been stitched up again and I hope the people in Accrington are very happy. I just did one thing wrong and I don’t deserve this.

"My wife has been supporting me and I really need her right now."

Despite his ordeal, the former Accrington Stanley mascot said he had not forgotten the Reds and asked what the score was in the 3-3 home clash with Chester City last weekend.

Before his conviction in 2005, Smith found fame after winning the BBC2 quiz show The Weakest Link.

The Observer also spoke to Pach who he married last February.

She said: "I am very happy and I want to have the baby with Alan.

"I want the baby to have a regular family here. I love him a lot and we are still together.

"I will not leave him and I want him to come back to me."

Smith formerly appeared in court in August 2005 when he admitted sexual activity with a girl under 16.

The court was told that he prodded a 14-year-old girl’s bottom with a pool cue and later pulled up the top of her knickers.

Formerly of Carter Street, Accrington, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, but as he had already been in custody for five-and-a-half months while awaiting trial, he was released immediately.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.

He was dropped as the club’s mascot and told to stay away from both home and away games.

Detective Inspector Jim Elston of Lancashire Police said: "I can confirm that he has been detained by the Thai authorities since 3 January and that he is being held in a detention centre.

"There is no guarantee that he will be deported, but they are currently going through the deportation process and he will have the right of appeal once that has begun.

"We have also been liaising with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Service over the recent developments which have taken place over there."